Sweatband cutting apparatus



ma., 10, 1935. E. w. BOUGHTON l 2,023,91

SWEATBAND CUTTING APPARATUS Filed MaICh l2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l BY 72 1% 12g l ATTORNEYS Dec. 10, 1935. E, w. BOUGHTON SWEATBAND CUTTING APPARATUS Filed March l2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2, A TTORNEYS.

"5" Eugene Patented Dec. Iii, 1935 yunirse anni A'EEN'! Application March l2, 1935, Serial No. lil

20 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for use by hat manufacturers for trimming 01T the ends of sweat bands, preparatory to securing the ends together and sewing them into hats.

Sweat bands, as commonly produced for hat manufacturers, are all approximately of the same length. Consequently, preparatory to placing them in hats of different sizes, the hat manufacturer must rst trim off their end portions at a slight angle in a manner to cut them to different specic lengths for different sizes of hats.

The various apparatuses thus far devised for doing this work have not been entirely satisfactory from a production standpoint since by reason of their constructions, only a limited number of sweat bands could be trimmed in the course of a given length of time and then only with considerable care on the part of the operator in charge of the cutting device. These prior devices, for the most part, were adapted for handling only one sweat band at a time, wherein one or possibly both edges were trimmed with a single operation. lt also true that most of these devices have to be re-set to regulate the size or length of the diiierent sweat bands.

It has therefore been the object of my present invention to provide an apparatus of the above nature whereby a series of hat bands, usually a dozen at a time, are accurately cut to diierent specific sizes, and that the two ends, while not trimmed simultaneously, are cut one immediately following the other, without removal o r re-arrangernent of the sweat bands.

A further object which I accomplish is to position the sweat bands in the apparatus in accordance with the diierent sizes required, so that any desired number of each size may be produced with a single setting and operation of the machine.

A further object is to provide reciprocatory knives as a cutting medium whereby the end portions of all the sweat bands positioned in the machine can be trimmed quickly and accurately with a single operation of the knives crosswise of the end portions of the sweat bands.

The apparatus, as designed, is practical and efficient, yet simple in construction and method of operation. It can easily be operated by a singie attendant and is capable of trimming many dozens of sweat bands in the course of a day.

My invention therefore consists in the construction and features, combinations and arrangement of parts, all as will be illustratively described in the accompanying drawings and specification to follow, containing reference numerals therein to indicate the several parts, and in which Fig. 1 shows a perspective View of my improved sweat band cutting apparatus, in an open position;

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the apparatus in a closed position, as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 shows a plan View of the apparatus in a closed position;

Fig. l shows a side elevation on an enlarged scale as seen from the left of Fig. 3, of a portion of the apparatus including the bed, holding frame, cutting knife and ends of a series of sweat bands positioned in the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig.4;

Fig. 6 shows a further enlarged side elevation of a portion of the apparatus including the bed, holding frame and ends of a series of sweat bands illustrating a modified form of the sweat band holding means; and

Fig. 7 shows a cross section taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 6, further illustrating the modified structure for holding varying layers of sweat bands.

As the description of the apparatus is proceeded with, it will be observed that separate sets of means are employed for trimming the opposite en@ of the pile of sweat bands and while the operations of trimming these opposite ends may be performed simultaneously with the two hands of the operator, yet they are more frequently performed in close succession, first the knife upon one side is operated and then the knife upon the other side is similarly operated.

These separate sets of mechanisms are substantially alike and include a separate slot in the bed for each mechanism, a somewhat similar slot and runway upon each side portion of the frame covering the respective slots in the bed, the two separate knives and their link connections for returning them to their normal position preparatory to their further manual operations. Therefore similar characters of reference will be used in referring to like parts of these duplicate cutting mechanisms, thereby avoiding unnecessary repetition.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon the drawings, l0 represents a bed which may be formed of metal and substantially rectangular in shape, and has a member H extended from each of the rear corners forming a vertically disposed post l2.

A pair of spaced-apart slots lli-i3 are formed in the top surface of the bed, extending from front to rear, forming runways for the cutting edges of the knives, later to be described. These slots are divergingly arrangedrwith respect to each other, that is to say, they are further apart at the rear of the bed than they are at the front, and both serve to cooperate with the knife in the cutting operations. This bed has a smooth top surface, aside from the interruptions of the slot and the series of stops i@ secured to the top surface of the bed along the side of each slot. These stops serve to be engaged by the raw edges l5 of the sweat bands I6 in a way to properly align them in spaced relation side by side, and substantially flat upon the surface of the bed. Any number of these guides may be employed sufficient to accommodate approximately a dozen sweat leathers for different sized hats.

I have therefore devised this apparatus so as to not only cut the two end portions at a slight angle as is required, but to automatically` cut the series of sweat bands to different lengths. This obviously is accomplished by the use of the two slots or runways, two cutting knives i1, but more particularly by arranging the slots at diverging angles to each other, as is clearly shown in Figs. i and 3 of the drawings, whereby the sweat bands nearest to the front will be cut shortest, as indicated by the size No. 61/2 whilerthe next may be No. 6% and running back as high as may be required to suit the dierent sizes of hats in which the bands are to be placed.

In addition to the bed member ID having diverging slots formed therein, as above referred to, I employ a frame i8 that may be of any preferred design and hingedly attached to the bed, as at I9 i9. This frame is preferably formed as shown in the drawings, of front'and rear members arranged substantially parallel to each other and side members 2li- 253 that are angularly disposed with respect to each other and adapted to cover the slots i3 in the bed when the frame is laid down upon it. These side members are provided with a vertical longitudinal slot 2| that extends through their major portions, though obviously does not run out to the corner portions of the frame. l

Guide plates 22 are attached to opposite sides of each of the side members 20 to form runways in the top portion of each member for the slides 23 and knife carriage 24, see Figs. 2, 3, and 4. These carriages are formed of two vertically disposed body portions secured together by a screw 25 and have outwardly disposed anges along their bottom edges to engage the runways for guiding the knife along through the slots during the trimming operations. The cutting knives il which are of a general rectangular form, as shown in Fig. 4, are held in place between these two side members 24 of each carriage by the clamping screws 25 and include cutting edges on two of their longitudinal sides whereby the blades may be reversed from time to time, shouldrthey become dull. Y l

The blade is preferably arranged at an inoline with relation to the top surface of the sweat band and bed so as to readily sever the sweat bands as the carriage with its knife is moved by the hands of theV operator from front to rear in the guide ways of the side members of the frame, while the frame is being held down tightly upon the sweat bands bythe engagement of the hook 41 with striking plate 48.

It should be borne in mind that in the average dozen lots lof hats, as they are worked through the factory, there are a greater number of the intermediate sizes, such as 7, 7%, 'l1/2, than there are 61A, 61/2 and 7% and 8. According to the arrangement of my sweat band cutting apparatus, the sweat bands for these intermediate and more popular sizes are arranged approximately midway of the pile, thus making the pile thicker in its central portion than at the front and rear. Therefore I have cut away the underside of the side member 25--20 of the frame I8 at 27, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4, better to accommodate the thicker piles of sweat bands arranged therebeneath.

In addition to this formation of the underface of the side members, I also provide a series of pins 28 which are carried by the side members 20 and project downward therefrom in a manner to engage the sweat bands when the frame is' lowered upon them, better to hold them in position and prevent them from slipping sidewise as .the knife is passed through them from front to rear.

As before suggested, the knife carriages are moved manually from front to rear in their cutting operations while the frame is down upon theY sweat leathers and which guides the knives back to the rear, leaving them in the rear position shown in Fig. 3. In this connection it will be seen that one end of each link 29 is connected through a swivel 35 with the slide 23 that is tted in the guides f2 for engagement with the knife carriage while the other end is somewhat similarly connected through a swivel 3l with the before mentioned post I2 so that as the frame is raised from the bed to its vertical position, the slide and knife carriage will be automatically shoved from the rear position to the front or upper position, as shown in Fig. 1. A spring catch 32 is mounted in the top of each side frame member and serves to engage a notch in the underside of the knife carriage when it is shoved to this upper position, where it is held until the frame is lowered preparatory to the manual releasing and operation of the knife for the cutting operation.

In vorder that the intermediate portions of the sweat bands will be engaged and further held during the cutting operations, I provide a holding member 33 which may be in the form of a plate, one edge portion of which is hinged as at 34 to the bed. This plate is flexibly connected to a U-shaped arm 35 secured to the rear cross member of the frame by a chain 35, one end of which is connected to the arm and the other to the plate.

Springs 31-31 carried on the under side of the armserve to engage the plate and hold it down upon the sweat bands. Another spring 38 secured to the top of the bed has one end portion extended out over the plate so as to insure a preliminary downward movement of the plate as soon as the frame is brought forward. 39--39 represents guide lugs secured to the forward edge of the base to receive the frame when it is lowered onto the sweat bands in a way to prevent any possible sidewise movement of the frame during the cutting operations, thus better to insure the free movement of the blades through the slots in the side members 20-20 and the slot I3 in the bed.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a modification of the side members 2li-2@ of the frame i8 which is designed to automatically clamp a number of piles of varying thicknesses and numbers of sweat bands as they may be arranged on the base preparatory for cutting and irrespective of just where in the series the differences in thicknesses are located, for it is true that in dozen lots of hats, as they are worked through a hat factory,

frequently there will be a greater number of the smaller or larger sizes than the intermediate sizes. Therefore, an arrangement of these side members 20, as shown in the preceding figures, might not hold them to the best advantage, since the undersurface, as shown, is cut away in a curved line, from front to rear.

In this modification, I form the side members slightly heavier than those shown in the preceding figures, thereby making a somewhat different shaped recess 212L and provide a series of independent spring-actuated presser feet 40, one for the end portion of each of the sweat bands or piles of sweat bands so that they will be properly clamped irrespective of whether one, two or three are contained in the pile. These presser feet, of which there may be any desired number, are of like construction and generally speaking comprise a sweat band engaging member or presser foot 40 carried upon the lower end of a shank 4I slidably mounted in a bearing 42 of the side member 20.

These Shanks carry a collar 43 against which one end of a spring 44 engages, the other end being positioned against the inner end of a pocket 45. A member 4S serves to enclose these spring pockets and form a further guide for the stem 4 I.

These presser feet are preferably arranged on the inner side portions of the frame members in spaced relation to and in close proximity to the slot 2| through which the knife blade travels. These presser feet obviously operate vertically when engaging the sweat bands and readily compensate for different numbers or thicknesses of leathers piled therebeneath. These presser feet are further arranged to clamp the sweat bands on the opposite side of the slot from that in which the pins 28 are located, thus forming a holding means for the sweat bands on both sides of the knife as it travels across them.

The foregoing description and illustration constitutes a preferred embodiment of the mechanical features of the invention, yet it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense, since many of the details of construction may be varied without materially departing from the scope of the invention which is more specifically set forth in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers, means for holding the sweat leathers in position on the bed, spaced apart knife guides hingedly connected to the bed and adapted to extend crosswise of the bed and the end portions of sweat leathers positioned thereon, and knives in reciprocatory engagement with the guide means for cutting off the opposite ends of the sweat leathers, and means for automatically moving the knives to a forward position as the guides are raised from the bed.

2. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers, means for holding the sweat leather in position on the bed, a pair of spaced apart guides arranged in diverging relation across the bed and the end portions of the sweat leathers positioned thereon, and knives adapted to engage the guide means for cutting 01T the ends of the sweat leathers.

3. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed adapted for supporting sweat leathers in overlapping engagement thereon, means for holding the sweat leathers in position on the bed and having upon opposite side edges diverging guide edges covering the opposite end portions of overlapping sweat bands when positioned upon the bed and a knife in reciprocatory engagement with each of the said guiding edges for cutting off the 5 opposite ends of the sweat leathers.

4. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed having a pair of spaced apart slots in its surface and adapted for supporting sweat leathers thereon with the opposite end portions overlapping the said slots,` a guide member hingedly connected to the bed and adapted to be closed down upon sweat leathers positioned on the bed, said guide member having diverging transverse slots in its opposed side portions, a knife mounted in each of said slots for reciprocatory movement and extending through the slots for engagement with the end portions of the sweat leathers.

5. In a sweat leather cutting machine, a bed for supporting a series of piles of sweat leathers thereon of different heights, a guide-way extending across the bed and the sweat leathers having compensating means to engage and hold the several piles of diierent heights of sweat leathers upon the bed, and a knife in reciprocatory engagement with the guide-way adapted to cut off the end portions of the sweat leathers.

6. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting a series of piles of sweat leathers of different heights, means for holding the sweat leathers upon the bed in overlapping relation, compensating guide means for engaging and holding the .end portions of these piles of sweat leathers of different heights upon the bed and a knife in reciprocatory engagement with the guide means adapted to cut off the end portions of the sweat leathers.

7. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers, a frame hinged to one edge portion of the bed and including two spaced apart guide ways each .extending at a different angle to the said hinge edge and adapted to lay over the end portions of the sweat leather positioned thereon, and a. knife in reciprocatory engagement with each of said guide ways for cutting the sweat leather to different lengths.

8. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers and including two spaced apart diverging guide ways extending across the end portion of the sweat leathers positioned thereon, and a knife in reciprocatory engagement with each of said guides for cutting off the ends and producing leathers of different lengths.

9. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers, means for holding the sweat leathers in position on the bed, spaced apart guide means extending across the bed divergingly arranged with respect to each other and the end portions of a sweat leather positioned thereon, and a knife carried by and in reciprocatory engagement with each of the two said guide means for cutting the sweat leathers to different lengths.

10. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers, spaced apart knife guides divergingly arranged with respect to each other and adapted to extend crosswise of the end portions of sweat leathers positio-ned thereon, a knife in reciprocatory engagement with each guide and adapted to be moved forward to cut the sweat leathers to different lengths and means to automatically return the knives to normal position.

11. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting a series of sweat leathers, two connected guide means extending across the bed and the end portions of the sweat leathers positioned thereon, the under face of said guide means having an elongated curved pocket thereon better to receive a series of piles of sweat leathers of different heights, and a knife in reciprocatory engagement with the guide means for cutting off the ends of the sweat leathers. Y

12. In a sweat leather cutting machine, the combination of a bed, a series of sweat leathers laying in overlapping relation thereon, connected guide means positioned upon the end portions of the sweat leathers in diverging relation, means loosely connected to the guide means to engage and hold the sweat leathers upon the bed, and a knife in reciprocatory engagement with the guide means for cutting off the sweat leathers to different lengths. Y

13. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting a series of piles of sweat leathers, means for holding the sweat leathers on the bed, connected spaced apart guides divergingly arranged, additional means for covering the end portions of the sweat leathers carried by the guides to engage and hold the end portions of said leathers, and a knife in reciprocatory engagement with each guide for cutting the end portions of the sweat leathers.

14. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers having two diverging edge portions, means for holding the sweat leathers in overlapping position on the bed, guides extending crosswise of the bed and the end portions of the sweat leathers and having slots therethrough to register with the diverging edges of the bed, and a knife in reciprocatory engagement with each slot for cutting off the sweat leathers to different lengths.

15. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers, means for holding the sweat leathers in position on the bed, a pair of connected spaced apart guides extending across the bed at different angles and the end portions of the sweat leathers positioned thereon, means for holding the guides down upon the leathers, knives mounted in the guides and adapted to be moved forward to cut the sweat leathers to different lengths, and means to automatically return the knives to normal position.

16. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers including spaced apart straight edges arranged in other than parallel relation, a series of sweat leathers arranged in overlapping relation upon the bed, a frame connected with the bed and having spaced pair of spaced apart diverging slots, means for r holding sweat leathers in overlapping positions upon the bed, a knife guide for each slot in the bed and provided with a slot to register with the slot in the bed, a knife in reciprocatory engagement with each of the guides and extending through 1,5,

both of said slots for cutting off opposite end portions of the sweat leathers in a manner to produce them of different lengths.

18. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed having a pair of spaced apart diverg- 2,() ving slots in its surface and adapted for supporting sweat leathers thereupon with their opposite end portions overlapping the saidslots, a guide member hingedly connected to the bed and `adapted to be closed down upon the sweat leathers positioned on the bed, said guide member including diverging slots in its opposed spaced apart side portions to register with the slots in the bed, a knife mounted in each ofy said side portions for reciprocatory movement and extending through 3.0,V

the slots for engagement with the end portions of the sweat leather in a manner to engage and cut ofi the same to different lengths.

19. A sweat leather cutting machine comprising a bed for supporting sweat leathers and having a pair of spaced apart olverging transverse. slots, means for holding sweat leathers in overlapping position on the bed, spaced apart knife guides to register with the slots in the bed and adapted to engage opposite end portions of sweat 'leathers positioned upon the bed, means for holding the knife guides in engagement with each of the guides and adapted for cutting oi opposite end portions of the sweat leathers.

20. A machine for trimming oi the ends of 45, sweat leathers comprising a bed adapted for supporting a number of sweat leathers thereon, spring means for holding the sweat leathers in overlapping position on the bed, a frame hinged to one edge portion of the bed and including di- A verging guides engaging the opposite end portions of the overlapping sweat leathers when positioned upon-the bed, and a knife in reciprocatory engagement witheach of the said guides for cutting off the opposite ends of the sweat leathers in a way to produce leathers of different lengths.

EUGENE W. BOUGHTON. 

